To Live in Darkness
by SlateWalker
Summary: Another army is racing to destroy Soul Society and they need all the help they can get. Self-exiled sixty years ago, there's a Soul Reaper who can help them, but can they convince him to return and show him he still has an inner light?
1. To Be Found Again

**AN: First story here. I hope you all like it. There are themes of Anthropomorphism, but nothing that hasn't already appeared in the anime or manga. This is a slight AU and some of the characters will be slightly off, for the purpose of the story, but nothing to terribly out of sorts.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Only the characters not seen in the manga or anime and the plot.**

* * *

><p>It was hot. Almost unbearably so. Kato paced the porches around the outside of the temple, voice raised as he tried to locate his target. "Aramani! Aramani where are you!" He shouted into the stagnant night air, loosening the collar of his yukata in an attempt to expel some of the heat from around his body. He sighed heavily. "Aramani!" He shouted again.<p>

He looked out as the long grass of the courtyard rustled and large black cat appeared, meowing loudly in return to his question. The cat was huge, standing a few inches taller and longer than the average house cat, packed with lithe muscle. He came to sit at Kato's feet, green slitted eyes staring back at him unnervingly. Kato shivered. Sometimes he wondered if the cat was looking straight through him. Aramani mewed once and stood up, the little bell on the end of white silk ribbon on his neck jingling before he padded off into the depths of the temple.

Kato sighed heavily and followed the cat. He oftentimes wondered why Hotaru-sama insisted on keeping a temple cat, but the one time he'd asked the question out loud, the entire room had gone silent and he'd felt shamed when one of the head priest gave him a stern lecture about following tradition. As it turned out, Aramani was apparently one in a long line of temple cats that had inhabited the temple for the last one hundred years. They were supposed to bring good luck and prosperity to the temple while protecting it at the same time.

Aramani stopped in front of a pair of doors and mewed, placing one paw on the door and looking at him expectantly. Kato sighed and walked over, dropping to his knees in a bow and and knocking. "Hotaru-sama. I've found Aramani." he said. There was a shuffle beyond the door before a gruff voice answered him. "Let him in, Kato. Then you may return to your room." Kato leaned up and opened the door wide enough for the cat to slip in before he closed it and returned to his own room for the night, curfew fast approaching.

On the other side of the door Aramani paced over to an elderly man, mewing quietly as he came to a rest at his knee. The man smiled and reached his down, rubbing the large cat between the ear. "Hunting shrews again, Aramani?" He asked and then smiled secretively. "Or something a little more...challenging?" The cat gave him a steady look, blinking owlishly before he began to purr, rubbing against the large hand.

They continued the quiet petting for a few more minutes before the man spoke again. "You were very patient in prayer today. Thank you. I realize Kato is not your favorite person in the temple, but even he needs to learn patience and compassion, whether that's watching the children or watching you." Aramani snorted and his ears flickered, which drew a laugh from the man. "We better get ready for bed, Aramani. Tomorrow starts the beginning of the Solstice, and that always brings many people to the temple." Aramani mewed agreeably and large warm hands lifted him into the air after the man had stood up.

The ribbon was removed from around his neck and hung on a peg on the wall next to a much larger copy before he was gently carried over to a mass of blankets in the corner of the room. Aramani was settled gently into the bed and he mewed up at the man gratefully before turning around three times and settling down, curling into a ball and settling his tail over his nose. There was a few more minutes of shuffling as the man readied himself for the night, blew out the lantern and lay in his own bed before darkness overtook Aramani and he settled into sleep.

* * *

><p>Soutaichou Yamamoto was looking at the reports with consternation drawn all over his face, wrinkles deeper and more pronounced. "Are you sure?" He asked. "Positive sir. There's no mistaking this Reiatsu." He sighed heavily. "Very well. Dismissed." The man he was speaking to bowed and left the room at a hurry. Sighing deeply again he called two hell butterflies to him and held out his hand. He whispered his message to them and flung out his arm so the two little butterflies could catch the gentle night breeze.<p>

It wasn't more than ten minutes before there was a knock on his door. "Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou reporting as ordered sir." He heard from the other side. "Enter." He ordered. The doors opened with a creak and he was joined by two other men, one with long white hair, the other wearing a floral pink kimono on his shoulder. There was a tense moment before he spoke. "I need someone found." He gruffed. Before either man got a chance to ask, he spoke again. "Shiranui Aramani must be found and convinced to return." There was gasp behind him.

"But, sir. Shiranui Aramani went into Exile of his own accord almost sixty years ago and vowed never to return." Ukitake said, eyes wide. "Yama-jii..." Kyoraku trailed off, looking unsure. Nobody had heard or seen from Shiranui Aramani for the last fifty-nine years. "We need his strength." The men behind him were about to protest but the Soutaichou spoke up again. "Recent intelligence reports from Hueco Mundo show a massive army gathering. However, it's far away from Los Noches and none of the reports indicate any of the Reiatsu from any of the deflected Taichous, Espada or Arrancar. There is, however, a large Reiatsu signature belonging to an unidentified person in the area. These Reiatsu signatures are making the hollows of Hueco Mundo restless, which is driving them into the world of the living. And into Rukongai."

There was a heavy silence as what the Soutaichou was saying to them sunk in before Kyoraku spoke up again. "Another army out to destroy the Soul Society?" He asked and all he received as an answer was a grunt. "I plan on bringing this up at the next meeting, but movements are pressuring me to prepare sooner than I'd hoped. We're going to need all the help we can get. Even if it means lifting Exiles we imposed years ago." He didn't sound happy with this and, even though Shiranui had Exiled himself, it was still implied.

"Leave tomorrow. You'll have to search hard for him. He's always been very good about hiding his Reiatsu and I'm sure he's only gotten better." Ukitake and Kyoraku, almost at a loss for words at this point, simply spoke the only thing that came to mind. "Yes Sir." The Soutaichou nodded and waved his hand in dismissal and the two men left the office to prepare for their mission.

* * *

><p>Aramani awoke to the clapping of the boards as he had every morning for the past many years, standing up and stretching languidly. The old man was rising from his bed and dressing while Aramani quickly groomed himself to a silken shine, pelt smooth and clean. The old man picked him up and draped the bell around his neck again before he donned his own and they left the room. As was always the first order of the day they walked along the outdoor porches until they reached the <em>hondo<em>, the main hall, for the morning prayer. It was still dark and chill outside when Aramani hopped up onto the raised pedestal in the back that was meant for him. He curled his tail over his paws and kept respectfully quiet through the whole morning.

Breakfast was a hurried affair that morning, as people were already gathering outside and Aramani had been assigned to Takyu that morning to greet people at the gates and generally wander around and play the part of the good, well-behaved temple cat. Summer Solstice always brought large crowds to the temple, families and children and tourists who wanted to visit the shrine and take in _Surētoiwa-ji's _early summer beauty. It was also one of Aramani's favorite times of the year.

All was well until, hanging around the gate with Takyu, mewing quietly to a young girl dressed in a pink kimono when a bigger boy, probably the girl's brother, stomped on his tail with a booted foot. Aramani screeched pitifully and was quickly scooped up in Takyu's robed arms while the mother scolded the boy for harming the temple cat. After the boy apologized, Aramani quickly regained control, though his tail was hurting him. Takyu handed him off to Miru, the temple doctor, who carried him inside and to the _kuri_, the building that held the offices, galleys and kitchen.

Safely ensconced in Miru's office, the kindly man rubbed a salve into Aramani's now bent tail and wrapped it in white cloth bandages, tying it off. "Now I know you're going back out there, but you keep that tail out of the way before it gets anymore messed up and you end up with a pemenant kink in your tail." Aramani mewed in understanding, rubbed himself against Miru's leg and scampered back outside, more than content to resume his duties.

Another hour passed before, wandering up to the gate, he saw the strangest thing ever in his time at the temple. Two men, one with white hair and the other with wavy brown hair, were chatting with the temple's head priest, Aramani's caretaker, and asking if he'd seen a black panther. "Sir, with all due respect, there are no panthers here. I've told you this." The old man was getting agitated and Aramani couldn't have that, so he sauntered over and sat at the old man's feet, meowing loudly. The old man looked down and smiled wryly.

"Well, I see Takyu wasn't exaggerating. You really did get your tail all messed up." the old men bent down and scooped him up and he was all too happy to remain in his arms. Aramani looked over to appraise the two men in front of the old man. And froze. He recognized these two. He sniffed the air cautiously and bristled. Ukitake. Kyoraku. He rose his hackles and hissed loudly, upset and jumped nimbly out of the old man's arms and onto the ground. He gave another growl and raced away, deep into the depths of the temple.

* * *

><p>"He knows you." The old man said slowly, firmly as he gazed at the two men in front of him. "And you know him." He continued. They were in the head priest's <em>shoin<em>, his study, sharing tea. The two men nodded. After Aramani had run away, the old man had invited them into the study for a very serious conversation. "Yes. We worked with him almost sixty years ago, before he left." Ukitake said, sipping his own tea before he leaned away to cough in his elbow. "Do you know what he is?" Kyoraku asked, looking at the head priest, who's name was Kyoji Hotaru. He nodded. "Yes. Aramani has been _Surētoiwa-ji's _temple cat for the better part of the century. I've been head priest here for forty years. I, and my predecessor, knew who Aramani really was and why he was seeking asylum here." The old man set his tea down. "Kyoji-san, with all due respect, we wish to speak with Aramani. We wish to bring him back to the Soul Society." The old man sucked in a breath. "I don't care if you speak to him. Aramani is his own person, no matter what form he decides to take. I've always given him free reign when it concerns his comings and goings from the temple. If he wishes to return with you, he'll have my blessing. If he wishes to stay, then he will have my protection. I've never stopped him from going out and fighting those creatures, the ones he calls hollows, and if he wishes to make a living out of it, then he may."

The old man sat back and looked over as there was a knock on the door. "Hotaru-jii, can I come in?" The voice was raspy and almost timid and all three men recognized it almost at once. "You can come in, Shiranui-kun. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak." The door slid open and every occupant of the room stopped to look up. Dressed in the light blue temple robes of _Surētoiwa-ji_, and looking deceptively young was Shiranui Aramani. He was tall, nearly seven feet at best estimate with piercing green eyes. He was well muscled and looked swift. But that was not his most striking feature.

Ask anyone in the Soul Society and they'll say that Komamura Sajin was the exception to the rule of humans only. Ask anyone who'd been in Soul Society seventy years ago, and they'd tell you there was one other, shining exception to that rule. Aramani Shiranui was no human.

He was a panther.

Shiranui slunk into the room and took his seat beside the head priest, who poured him a cup of tea. With fingers rusty from disuse, the cup was shakily picked up and help close. "Thank you, Hotaru-jii." He said, before taking a sip. The hot liquid seemed to bolster him because when he looked up this time, his eyes were piercing and determined as he leveled his gaze at the two men across from him.

"You wanted to talk. Now talk."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <em>Surētoiwa-ji <em>literally translates to "Slaterock temple" and is a temple of my own imagination and does not actually exist in Japan. If the workings of a Buddhist temple were off, my apologies, I did as much research as possible to get it accurate. If anyone wants to know what Shiranui looks like, imagine Komamura, slightly shorter and smaller with panther features instead of a wolf. That's all for now! More soon.**


	2. To Change Your Life

**AN: I have more of this story. Hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Only a few of the characters and the plot.**

_**This is a Zanpakuto**_

_This is an inner voice, speak with the Zanpakuto, or thoughts_

* * *

><p>The room was silent for a moment in surprise at the bluntness of his request, but the head priest chuckled lightly and whatever tension there had been drained from the room, though the air around them was still serious. Shiranui curled his bandaged tail in his lap and settled back to wait until his question was answered, sipping his tea patiently.<p>

"We came to ask you to return to Soul Society." Shiranui snorted. "You want me back?" He queried, setting his tea cup down and leaning forward, paw-like hands braced on his knees. "And why on earth would you want me back? Or even think that I'd agree to this in the first place?" He asked, sneering. Ukitake looked a little stunned but quickly recovered.

"There's an army, gathering in Hueco Mundo. They're very strong. We're lifting Exiles and bringing people back from retirement because we need all the help we can get." Shiranui blinked. "So let me get this straight. The only reason you're here, disturbing the most peaceful time in my life, trying to get me back into the Soul Society, is because you guys are about to get your butts kicked?" He asked incredulously. Both men were momentarily shocked into silence as Shiranui rose to his feet. Before their very eyes his form shrunk in a ripple of light and sound until, draped in the blue robes of the temple was the cat from earlier.

"Hotaru-jii, with all respect, I think I'll leave now." The old man nodded, nonplussed by the talking cat and Shiranui bounded out of the room through the open door onto the porch and into the long grasses that surrounded this building. Kyoraku turned sideways to look at Ukitake. "That could have gone a little better." He deadpanned, grinning lazily as the other man rolled his eyes heavenward.

* * *

><p>Shiranui had just found himself a comfortable spot perched in a tree when there was a nudging presence in the back of his mind<p>

"_**I want to go back. Like, I REALLY want to go back there."**_

"_Of course you want to go back. You want to fight." _ He snorted, rolling his eyes and curling his tail over his paws as he gazed down at the temple around him.

"_**Come on, Master. When was the last time we got any **_**real ****_action around this place? You've gotten soft."_**

"_I have not. And its a good thing we haven't had any "real action". Means there's no trouble hidden around the corner. I'll start worrying when Menos Grande start knocking on my door."_

"_**Ohhhh, snarky. Good one Master. I was beginning to think your fighting skills weren't the only thing suffering in your early retirement."**_

Shiranui couldn't help the snicker that escaped him at that one as he settled further onto his stomach on the tree branch.

"_**Come on. Think. Even you, deep down in your little panther kitten heart know you're getting restless here. It doesn't have to be permanent. Maybe a temporary foray as a Shinigami will help us both get the violence out and we can come back here and get old and fat."**_

This gave Shiranui pause. It _didn't _have to be permanent. He could go in, help out and return home within the span of a few years and call it done with. Why didn't he think of that earlier? He'd heard the conversation right before he'd entered the room. Hotaru-jii would take him back if he wanted to return home. And Shiranui was fairly certain he would.

"_Is that a good idea though? I mean. We did just vanish into thin air with only a note not sixty years ago. There's gonna be some rocky places with the older generation if we decide to go back and you know you generally don't get a long well with the older Zanpakuto. There's no guarantee you'll get along well with the newer ones."_

"_**Me, you don't have to worry about. They wanna rumble with me, I'll make 'em think twice after I bite them once or seven times. I'm more worried about you and the fact that you're not a human. You had a hard enough time settling the first time around."**_

"_Aw, you do care. I knew you were a big old softie. As for me settling in, news has it that one of the Taichous is like me. Except bigger. And Canine. The Shinigami guard that I ran into last year spoke very highly of him. Maybe it'll be a bit easier this time."_

"_**First of all, Master, with all due respect, shut up. Second of all. I can't make the decision for you. You have to decide. I just get drug along for the ride. Personally though? I say let's go, have one last good old fashioned session of kicking bad guy tail and then retire."**_

"_Alright alright. I'll think on it for a while. You go away now and leave my thoughts to me. You'll know as soon as I decide, anyway."_

There was one last nudge at the back of his mind before he was alone again. Perched in his tree, overlooking the vast majority of the temple's grounds, he thought back. His last fifty-nine years here had been some of the best and most relaxing of his life. Hotaru and the other temple inhabitants liked and cared for him and those who knew what he really was accepted him with nary a question.

But, as much as it pained him to admit it, he was growing restless. And rusty. Very few hollows ventured this far out and only when Shiranui accidentally let his Reiatsu control slip by him, which wasn't very often. He needed that fire, that passion again. He needed that rush of adrenaline that accompanied the final blow that took out his opponent, the exhilaration that suffused him when he succeeded at a challenge. He felt the urge to take his Zanpakuto in hand and rend flesh and bone, bring his enemy to his knees.

He needed to fight.

He knew he wasn't going to get that feeling here, as a pampered and spoiled temple cat and, as much as he would like to stay away from the Soul Society after the fiasco from sixty years ago, he knew they could offer him what he needed. And if he saved some innocent lives while he was at, then so much the better. He liked that part. The saving innocent people.

He would also freely admit that, being the social creature he was, he needed to get out of the temple, post-haste, and meet someone new. But, his reservations still stood.

What happened sixty years ago had torn his self-confidence to shreds. Very rarely did he let people past his shields and into his heart now. He couldn't. Last time he'd screwed up, horribly. He'd hurt himself and those around him. He'd left himself with scars, physical and emotional. Could he really go back to where it all started? Where he'd been found, rescued, raised, trained and the shamed into self-exile? Could his pride handle being back in front of those staring eyes, who mistrusted him simply for the fact that he had fur, rather than skin?

He could.

* * *

><p>Shiranui knocked tentatively at the door, back in his normal form and dressed this time in his Shinigami outfit, his Zanpakuto on his back, held by white ribbon that matched the belled necklace still around his throat. "Hotaru-jii, may I come in?" He requested from where he knelt. "You may, Shiranui-kun." Shiranui slid the door open and then rose, pacing inside and shutting the door behind him.<p>

Hotaru looked up at him and smiled wryly. "You've decided to leave?" He asked. Shiranui walked to the cushion in front of the older man and knelt down, bowing his head. "I came to speak to you about that. I'm going to go and help them but...I wish to return here when I have finished my business there. That life has nothing to offer me anymore and the only reason I'm even going temporarily is in the hopes of preventing unnecessary deaths." Hotaru still didn't speak, leveling Shiranui with a gentle stare as Shiranui continued.

"You've all been so nice to me, Hotaru-jii and I really have no intentions of leaving retirement permanently. I would be honored if you would allow me to return to my position of temple cat on my return, but if you wish it, when I am finished there, I will go elsewhere." The last sentence was tight, upset, and Hotaru gentled his gaze further. "May I see Skalenvenier?" He asked.

Shiranui unhesitatingly reached behind him and pulled the katana from his sheath, resting the blade on his palms before passing it over reverently. Hotaru gave the blade a good look. The blade was sharp and shining, cared for meticulously even after all these years of sparing use. The guard was square and black, the hilt an array of black and red overlayed diamonds. Hotaru reached down beside him and grabbed something before he slipped it onto the hilt below the guard, where he knotted it securely before handing it back to its rightful owner.

Shiranui's eyes widened. "B-But Hotaru-jii, this is-" He stumbled over his words before coming to a dumb-founded stop. "Yes. It's the Slate Amulet. I expect you to return that to me personally when you return. May it provide you luck and protect you as it has the this temple for hundreds of years." Shiranui's green eyes were flooding with tears, giving them a glassy appearance, even as he smiled gratefully at the older man.

Wrapped around the base of the guard was a single, black leather thong, wound tightly so that the amulet was snug and wound not fly around. The stone was the most beautiful though. It was mix of colors; ice white, water blue and slate gray, mixed in an array of colors that stole his breath away. "You take care of yourself, young man. For your sake, and for mine. Try not to get hurt." Shiranui resheathed Skalenvenier and, before Hotaru knew what hit him, he had his arms full of panther, "thank you, thank you, thank you" whispered over and over again like a mantra.

Over the past forty years, Hotaru and Shiranui had grown close. First like friends, then brothers, and then father and son. Hotaru always made sure Shiranui was well-taken care of while Shiranui provided comic relief and companionship to the older. It wasn't a far stretch to say both men were going to miss each other very much.

Finally Shiranui pulled back and wiped a hand over his face, slicking the fur with tears as he sniffled. "I'll be home as soon as I can. And I'll visit, even if I have to sneak out to come here. But you gotta promise me to take care of yourself too." Hotaru nodded. "I already do." Shiranui nodded and rose to his feet, confidence suffusing his entire body and Hotaru felt his heart swell with pride. Shiranui walked out the door, bell jingling around his neck.

Earlier he'd contacted Ukitake and Kyoraku after deciding to return to the Soul Society and agreed to meet them at midnight in Karakura Town, a place not terribly far from the temple. Shiranui set off at a run and, in thirty minutes he changed tactics, going from running in the streets to hoping up on a building and continuing on his way like that.

A few minutes later he was at the meeting spot. Like clockwork, Ukitake and Kyoraku appeared from the shadows and stood on either side of him. Shiranui nodded once and in his head he could feel the comforting warmth of his Zanpakuto, Skalenvenier, ready to face this uncertainty by his side. "Are you ready to go back?" Ukitake asked, his usual gentility in place. Shiranui took a deep breath and nodded again.

"Let's do this."


	3. To Begin A New Adventure

**AN: I have an update for all you nice people.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

* * *

><p>When Shiranui stepped out of the Senkaimon, Kyoraku and Ukitake flanking him on either side, almost protectively, Seireitei was eerily silent and it caused the fur along his neck to rise minutely in uncertainty. The last time he was here, it had been terribly loud and busy, but happy. Now things seemed oppressive and the air was charged, as if waiting for something to go wrong.<p>

"Many of the other Shinigami are on patrol, attempting to put a stop to the hollow attacks everywhere." Ukitake explained, seemingly sensing Shiranui's unease. Shiranui nodded shortly and followed slightly behind the two other men as they trekked to, what he could assume, was the First Division Barracks, where the Soutaichou had his office. Shiranui looked around him trying to take everything in again.

Nothing looked terribly different. Some of the buildings were a different color, which Shiranui could only assume was from repairs to damage. He briefly wondered what could have gotten in and caused any damage to Seireitei. He was brought out of his reverie shortly by a hand on his shoulder and he looked over, smiling nervously, at Kyoraku. "We can't go in with you, but we can take you to the door." He looked up and realized his was standing at the foot of a flight of stairs and, at the top, was a tall pair of doors.

He took a deep breath and, bolstered by the warm presence of Skalenvenier at the back of his mind, nodded. Kyoraku and Ukitake stopped at the top of the flight of stairs and Shiranui continued forward without looking back. Two guards looked at him shortly before the door was opened and he was ushered inside to the meeting room, where another pair of guards were waiting for him.

Apparently he was expected.

This new set of guards led him through several doors and down a few long halls before he was stood in front of a sliding door. Recognizing this as the office, he dropped to his knees and knocked. "Shiranui Aramani, Soutaichou Yamamoto." He said. There was shuffling on the other side of the door that he was pretty sure was the other man sitting down. "Enter." A voice rasped. Shiranui opened the door and stood, entering the office. He paced forward, paws thumping on the wooden floor before he came to stand in front of the desk, bowing deeply.

He held that for a few minutes before he stood up, facing the other man. "I am at your service, Soutaichou Yamamoto." He rumbled. The old man was looking at him sedately and Shiranui felt slightly unnerved, even after all these years. "So I see." Shiranui shifted again.

"Soutaichou, permission to speak freely, sir?" He asked, hands at his side. The older man nodded. "I don't plan on coming back permanently. I'm only here to help until your problem is taken care of, and then I wish to return to the Temple I was guarding." He said. He wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible, so no one tried to box him in when his time to leave came.

Soutaichou leveled him with an even gaze and Shiranui stood tall and certain. "Very well. I understand your decision and we'll be happy to have you while you're here." Shiranui let out a breath he hadn't realized he's been holding and relaxed the muscles in his shoulders. "Sir, where will I be stationed while I'm here?" He asked. He assumed he wasn't going to be allowed to run around without a Taichou to report to while he was here.

"Well, I'm very tempted to give you your old position back." Shiranui tensed. "With all due respect, Sir. No way in hell. I'm assured that, by now, the position is filled and I refuse to kick them out of their job." He said firmly, but with the respect the other man was due in his higher position. The Soutaichou let a smile grace his face for a very brief moment before he nodded. "I figured as much. You never took anything without working your way for it before and I expected no less. Would you consider taking a seated position?"

Shiranui paused for a minute. Seated Officers were chosen once every other year by a test, usually a melee spar where, whatever number of people vying for position, were set on each other, with orders not to cause major injuries. Because First and Second seat were already taken by the Taichou and fukutaichou respectively, the last eighteen contestants standing were given seated positions based on the number they fell after the group had been narrowed down. First to fall was given the Twentieth Seat and last to fall was given the Third Seat.

"When are the Officer exams?" He asked. "Next week for all divisions." He was told and Shiranui nodded. If he was going to be here, he might as well take on some responsibility while he was at it. "I will." He said. "The Fourth Division is going to have their hands full if all the divisions are doing this next week. Besides the Fourth proper and maybe the Twelfth, that's elven divisions having brawls all at once." Soutaichou nodded. "Yes, but this way is better, unfortunately. The written exam was bringing up too many matched scores for us to properly assign seats."

Shiranui nodded. This was all well and nice, but he kinda hoped the older man would give him his assignment and whoever came to get him let him stop at some kind of tailor or store so he could get clean clothes and a few personal things. Sensing his urge to get out, the older man gave him a gentle look, not quite a smile, and handed him a packet. "You'll be assigned to the Tenth Division. You'll report to Hitsugaya-Taichou. But first, you'll be taken to a shop to get the things you'll need. You'll be given orders to complete while you wait for the officer exams."

Shiranui nodded and opened the packet, reviewing the information inside. There was a map of the entirety of the Seireitei, which had changed slightly since he was here, with what he assumed to be the Tenth Division marked, a handbook of rules, which obviously would have changed, a small card with his name and division on it and a small amount of money, which he assumed would be just enough to get a few things to start him off. He closed the folder and brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, when his hand came across the silk ribbon around his neck.

"Sir, I realize my bell collar is against certain rules, but I would ask that you allow me to wear it. There is also a pendant wrapped around the hilt of Skalenvenier. My caretaker from the temple put it there for my good fortune and protection." The Soutaichou watched him evenly for a few minutes before he nodded. "The new rules allow you to have the pendant on the hilt, but I will also allow you to wear your bell collar, on the provision that, should you be on a mission that requires silence, you remove it completely."

Shiranui nodded easily. That was more than reasonable request. "Then I shall alert Hitsugaya-Taichou of this." Shiranui nodded. He was about to speak again when there was a knock on the door. "Matsumoto-fukutaichou, reporting as requested, Soutaichou Yamamoto." Shiranui's ears swiveled over and he listened carefully. They'd sent the fukutaichou to escort him around. That rarely happened when he was here, if ever. "Enter." The man said and there was the sound of someone standing up and the doors opened. Shiranui turned around and gaped. The woman in the door was, by any standard, a knockout. He felt heat flush his pelt and turned back around. He may not have an interest in this woman, but he wasn't blind. "This is Shiranui Aramani. He'll be joining the Tenth Division. He needs to report to Hitsugaya-Taichou, but first, he needs to stop at a shop and pick up a few of the basics." Shiranui turned around a bowed respectfully. "Yes, Soutaichou." She said. Shiranui turned back around and bowed to the older man, bid his farewells and followed the fukutaichou, Matsumoto, out of the room.

* * *

><p>"I'm not gonna bite, okay? You can relax." Shiranui dropped the tension he'd been carrying in his shoulders and sighed a little, padding up to walk at a more even pace with the other Shinigami. "Sorry, sorry. Its just...I never thought I'd be coming back here. Ever." She nodded in understanding and placed a hand on his shoulder for a brief minute before she pulled it away. "I, uh, guess I should introduce myself better. Shiranui Aramani. Pleasure to meet you." He said brightly.<p>

This pulled a laugh out of his walking companion, who released her own tension and smiled at him just as brightly. "Rangiku Matsumoto, fukutaichou of the Tenth Division." Shiranui smiled warmly and he felt a prodding at the back of his mind and a quiet, contented hiss. Shiranui couldn't help but smile. She wasn't freaking out. This was going so much better than the first time he'd ever been introduced to a Shinigami, which had resulted in screams and insults.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting another one of you." Shiranui blinked. Not only was this completely out of the blue, but it really made no sense at all. "How do you mean?" He asked nervously, almost afraid to get the answer. "I always thought Komamura-Taichou was the only animal-person around, but it looks like I was wrong." Shiranui grunted. Still no yelling or anything, so he decided to sit tight and see what happened.

"Do you have a tail?" Shiranui was unprepared for the question and he choked on his breath, having been blind-sided by the other person. He looked over at here and blinked. "You're serious, aren't you?" he asked incredulously, blinking in shock. When all he received in answer was an earnest gaze he unwrapped his tail from around his waist, where it had been hidden in the folds of his robe.

Matsumoto squealed in childish delight and reached forward with a surprisingly gentle hand and ran her fingers down the length of his tail, down to the bottom of his bandages. "What happened?" She asked and Shiranui shrugged his shoulders. "An accident at the temple earlier. Somebody stomped on my tail." She blinked. "How do you step on a panther's tail?" She asked.

Shiranui blinked in stunned silence for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter for a moment. "You don't. My form in the world of the living is that of a rather large black cat. I fear the public would not have taken kindly to a panther running around, temple in the rural areas or not." She nodded, seemingly nonplussed by his bout of laughter. "You were a temple cat?" She asked. "Yes. For the last sixty years, I have guarded _Surētoiwa-ji _while keeping the disguise of a harmless temple cat. A rather brilliant disguise if I do say so myself."

Matsumoto only nodded and continued to drill him for information about his life outside the Seireitei.

* * *

><p>Matsumoto took Shiranui to the barracks first to drop off his packages. Two new Shihakusho tailored for his larger frame, a light gray yukata, and a few things like unscented shampoo and a nail file for his back claws, which didn't retract and would click on the wooden floor if he let them get to long. When Matsumoto asked about the lack of footwear, Shiranui explained carefully and patiently. "Because of the way my back paws are, they don't allow for wearing any remotely comfortable footwear. In my experience, I've met one other like me in my travels, you either end up with feet, or paws. I got paws." He said and she nodded.<p>

Once his things were settled in his room, which he would share with another person, Matsumoto led him along the wooden porches until they reached the building where the offices were. "Hitsugaya-Taichou will be expecting us. You'll need to check in and get your temporary orders before I can let you mingle with the rest of the Division." Shiranui nodded and Matsumoto stopped them in front of a sliding paper and wood door. Shiranui was about to drop into a bow when Matsumoto stopped him. "Taichou says we don't have to do that if we're entering the office, so long as we remember to use the proper greeting. But only in the office and only if its him."

Shiranui nodded and Matsumoto raised her hand, knocking. "Taichou! Its Matsumoto and I have the new guy!" She gushed and Shiranui jolted. "That's not a proper greeting!" He hissed in surprise and she just laughed jovially and waved him off. There was a sigh from the other side of the door and then a young voice answered them. "Come in, Matsumoto." Matsumoto flung the doors open and they both entered the office. Behind the desk was a young man with shockingly white hair and piercing turquoise eyes. Once both Shiranui and Matsumoto were in front of the desk, Shiranui dipped into a bow.

"Shiranui Armani, at your service, Hitsugaya-Taichou."


End file.
